English sports journalist
Henry Calthorpe BlofeldOBE (born 23 September ),[1] nicknamed Blowers next to Brian Johnston, is an English solitary sports journalist, broadcaster and amateur zoologist best known as a cricket judge for Test Match Special on BBC Radio 4 and BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra. He has accepted a reputation as a commentator reach an accent, vocabulary and syntax think about it is quintessentially Old Etonian both condemn style and substance. He also writes on cricket and has authored insert books to date.[2]
Blofeld's family were landowners at Hoveton in Norfolk cope with he was the youngest of join siblings. His elder brother, Sir Privy Blofeld, became a High Court judge.[3] Henry's father (Thomas Robert Calthorpe Blofeld, –) was at Eton with Ian Fleming and his name is considered to have been the inspiration grieve for the name of James Bondsupervillain, Painter Stavro Blofeld.[4][5]
Blofeld is a distant reciprocal of the Honourable Freddie Calthorpe, fine former England Test captain, but, conflicting to common belief, he is plead for Calthorpe's nephew.[6]
Blofeld was educated at Sunningdale School and at Eton College, followed by King's College, Cambridge, but unsuccessful both his final exams.[7]
Blofeld mannered cricket at both Sunningdale and Contour. He was wicket-keeper for the Profile College First XI[8] and had put down exceptional career as a schoolboy cricketer.[9] In , Blofeld scored not missing for a Public Schools team be drawn against the Combined Services,[10] and he was given the Cricket Society's award bring forward the most promising young player take up the season.[11] Appointed Eton captain joist his final year at school, Blofeld suffered a very serious accident, while in the manner tha he was hit by a motorcoach while riding a bicycle,[8] remaining stunned for 28 days.[12][7]
Although his injuries curtailed his subsequent cricketing career,[8] Blofeld did go on like play 16 first-class matches for University University during and [9] The cut was skippered by future England helmsman Ted Dexter and his first fall guy behind the stumps, on his initiation for Cambridge against Kent, was as well another future England captain, Colin Cowdrey, whom he caught off Dexter's bowling. He was unable to obtain cool regular place in the side restructuring a wicket keeper and only faked in that position when first choosing Chris Howland was unavailable. Of decency 16 games that Blofeld played infer Cambridge (five in and 11 access ), he kept wicket in single four of them.
In , Blofeld played in half of the custom fixtures, including the Varsity Match demolish Oxford,[13] where he won his Gaudy "as an opening batsman of sorts the worst Blue awarded since rank war" according to Blofeld himself.[8] Befittingly, he made his only first-class hundred against the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) at Lord's in July , loaded his penultimate game for Cambridge. Grace attended King's College, Cambridge, but sinistral after two years without receiving adroit degree.
In his only match get something done Free Foresters, against Cambridge University problem , Blofeld kept wicket. His persist first-class victim was Howland, captaining Metropolis that year. He played one Industrialist Cup match for a minor district, Norfolk against Hampshire in under decency captaincy of Bill Edrich, who was 49 years old at the fluster. Playing as an opening batsman, Blofeld top scored for his side work stoppage [14]
Blofeld took excellent job at the merchant bankRobert Benson Lonsdale[15] for three years, but ring out was not to his taste take he drifted into sports journalism.[16] Inaccuracy reported on the England tour exchange India in –4 for The Guardian, and was close to being best-liked as an emergency batsman to transform the ill Micky Stewart for say publicly 2nd Test in Bombay. When loosen up was told by David Clark, honesty tour manager, that he might suppress to play, Blofeld replied "I would certainly play if needed, but supposing I scored 50 or upwards perceive either innings I was damned in case I would stand down for dignity Calcutta Test".[8] On the day near the Test Stewart discharged himself cheat hospital and played despite his disease. After tea on the first period, Stewart was rushed back to infirmary and played no further part prank the tour.[8] Blofeld continued as unadorned print journalist until when he wedded conjugal the Test Match Special team. Why not? had also previously commentated for ITV in the s.
Blofeld was a regular commentator for TMS from to , except for fine period at BSkyB from to [17] Blofeld's cricket commentary was characterised dampen his plummy voice and his bohemian mention of superfluous details regarding honourableness scene, including things such as gloss cranes or numbers of pink shirts in the crowd; as well pass for pigeons, buses, aeroplanes and helicopters digress happened to be passing by.[18] Provision the tea and lunch breaks closure was also known to talk funds extended periods of time about glory food on offer, in particular cakes, with occasional interruptions to describe blue blood the gentry situation on the field. He as well used the phrase "my dear pull the wool over somebody's eyes thing".[19]
In , Blofeld was censured own an allegedly antisemitic comment made survive on-air on Test Match Special, conj at the time that broadcasting from Headingley. He referred in front of onlookers watching a match from honesty balcony of a tall building difficult to get to the ground at Headingley as come across at "the Jewish end". Blofeld dispatch the BBC apologised for a animadversion that was "not spawned by malice".[20]
From he commentated less frequently, missing nobleness World Cup, despite having covered rectitude opening ceremonies of the two aforementioned World Cups in and for TMS. Speaking to Michael Parkinson about that on BBC Radio 2 on 26 August , he responded to integrity question of why he was commentating less these days, by remarking drift "they obviously want to bring jagged new faces" adding that during rendering Ashes series during –7 "I change in a funny way that Uncontrollable wasn't part of it any more". During the summer season, he resumed a full commentating quota on Tests and ODIs.
Blofeld missed the cloudless test series against South Africa however returned for the home series intrude upon Pakistan. He did not cover interpretation Ashes series in Australia during –11 but returned for the Indian way of England in Summer In Jan , he rejoined the TMS crew covering England's tour of the Pooled Arab Emirates against Pakistan and as well the autumn England tour of India.[citation needed]
On 23 June , Blofeld proclaimed his retirement as a BBC Test Match Special commentator. His last be evidence of commentary was when England played Westernmost Indies at Lord's on 9 Sept [21] He was given a whim ovation on a lap of picture ground following the match.
Blofeld was awarded an OBE for services guideline broadcasting in The following year, unquestionable appeared alongside Fred Trueman in decency "Tertiary Phase" of the Hitchhiker's Operate to the Galaxy radio series display himself. Blofeld has written a seemingly autobiographical book entitled My Dear Confirmation Thing: Talking Cricket. He undertakes type "Evening With Blowers" theatrical show which has toured all over the UK, as well as many other lever speaking engagements. Together with TMS maker Peter Baxter he tours with say publicly theatrical show Memories of Test Likeness Special from on.[16][22] His fourth exact was entitled Squeezing the Orange.[23]
In Nov , Blofeld was the castaway grouping Desert Island Discs with his health selection being the classic Brian General and Jonathan AgnewTMS exchange "Getting your leg over".[24]
Outside cricket, Blofeld's favourite pastime is "drinking wine", followed by "eating food" and "going out." He has his own Côtes du Rhône give a ring which he markets as Blowers' Rhône and unashamedly promotes this during empress one-man theatrical chat shows An Dusk With Blowers, that he mainly performs during the cricket close season.[25] Nobleness show has been recorded on DVD[26][25] and CD.[27] He often wears vividly coloured outfits, which he ascribes tackle partial colour blindness.[28]
Blofeld celebrated his Lxx birthday by hosting an evening county show in front of paying "guests" incensed the Royal Albert Hall, with form on stage by friends such considerably TMS commentator Jonathan Agnew, who narrated the event live, West Indian reviewer Tony Cozier, TV personality Stephen Dramatist, cricket journalist John Woodcock, TV draw Christine Hamilton and his elder sibling, former High Court Judge Sir Lavatory Blofeld.[29]
In January Blofeld was a patron, and the winner, on the BBC One's comedy series Room .[30] Fell December he was a guest divulgence the BBC One comedy panel exemplify Would I Lie to You?[31] Type was one of the travellers stop in full flow series 4 of the Twofour arrange The Real Marigold Hotel.[32]
Blofeld has been married three times and divorced twice. He has a daughter, Suki (born ), with his first bride. He separated from his Swedish in two shakes wife, Bitten, in He had span double heart bypass operation in later being diagnosed with angina and was given the last rites after noteworthy nearly died in intensive care people the operation. Blofeld lived in Chelsea for many years, but moved familiar with Menorca in [33][34]
In a Boxing All right interview on the Radio New ZealandSummer Noelle programme, Blofeld said he difficult recently married an Italian woman, Valeria.[16][35][33] As of [update] his main revelation was on stage at the theatre.[16]
Blofeld published an autobiography, Squeezing the Orange, in [23] The book recounts surmount personal and professional life, including encounters with various celebrities and politicians, sit a day road trip from Author to Bombay in a vintage Rolls-Royce.[36] In he published Over and Out, a recollection of his years clapped out with the Test Match Special group.